POISONOUS PLANTS

The South African Pony Club handbook contains an extensive list of plants that are poisonous to horses. The list includes many different plant categories and types, which makes it a great resource to use when in doubt. In this article, we will be discussing three poisonous plants that commonly grow in South African paddocks, just to get you started. These are Ragwort, Nightshade, and Pigweed.

Ragwort (Senecio)

The scientific names of these plants are not important. However, it is vital to be able to recognise these plants so that we can remove them from our paddocks. Ragwort is a weed that grows very quickly and spreads easily. It is easy to identify by its small, yellow flowers. It can damage the horse’s liver, causing them to appear dull, depressed, and sometimes even colic. Liver damage can also be noticed by checking your horse’s gums to see if they are pale or light pink. Pale gums are a sign you should call your vet!

Nightshade (Datura)

Two poisonous Datura species exist in South Africa. Both the leaves and fruit are highly poisonous to horses. They can both grow into very large shrubs. One has a white star-shaped flower, and the other has a pale purple starshaped flower. Both grow green spikey fruit.

Datura can cause severe colic in horses because it stops gut muscular contractions, causing severe impaction colic.

Pigweed (Amaranth)

Pigweed is a fast-spreading weed and is very difficult to kill. With strong roots and a prickly stem, it cannot be simply uprooted like Ragwort. It can also quickly become resistant to herbicides. Pigweed poisoning can occur if a horse eats a large amount of the plant. The signs of poisoning include respiratory distress and kidney failure. The good news is that the plant is very bitter, and horses won’t go near it unless they have nothing else to eat at all.

Final thoughts

Horses usually do not eat poisonous plants. They are very clever at identifying what is good for them and what is not. However, in some instances where there might not be enough grazing, or there is a particularly curious horse or pony, they might try a poisonous plant. Because of this, we must keep a close eye on our paddocks to make sure that nothing dangerous has snuck into the pasture. The other place that weeds can creep into your pony’s food is in their hay if the plants have grown in the field from which the grass was baled. This means it is a good idea to always check your pony’s hay for any weeds or thorns and to remove them if you do find them.